Polytetrafluoroethylene conduits versus homografts for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in infants and young children: An institutional experience.

OBJECTIVE: Our institution uses a valved polytetrafluoroethylene conduit as an alternative to homografts. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of bicuspid valved polytetrafluoroethylene conduits used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in children aged less than 2 years and to evaluate risk factors for earlier conduit explant.

METHODS: We performed an Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective chart review of all patients aged less than 2 years who underwent surgical right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction with a bicuspid valved polytetrafluoroethylene conduit or homograft conduit from July 2004 to December 2014. The end points of the study were defined as conduit explant, conduit explant or reintervention, conduit stenosis, and conduit insufficiency.

RESULTS: Fifty-four patients underwent 65 right ventricular outflow tract reconstructions with a bicuspid valved polytetrafluoroethylene conduit (n = 39) or a homograft conduit (n = 26, 23 pulmonary, 3 aortic). The majority of diagnoses were truncus arteriosus (n = 28) and tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia (n = 19). Median age of patients at surgery was 134 (8-323) days and 128 (7-384) days in the PTFE and homograft groups, respectively. There was no difference in demographic data between the 2 groups. Time-to-event analysis demonstrated no difference in time to explant (P = .474) or time to explant or reintervention (P = .206) between the 2 conduit types. Younger age at surgery was the only independent risk factor for conduit explant (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.104 per 30 days younger, P < .001). There was no significant influence of conduit type on the development of moderate conduit stenosis (P = .931) or severe conduit insufficiency (P = .880). Larger conduit z score was protective for the development of moderate conduit stenosis (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.46; P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS: Bicuspid valved polytetrafluoroethylene conduits are a satisfactory choice for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in patients aged less than 2 years. Their availability, low cost, and lack of potential sensitization make them an appealing alternative to homograft conduits.